Absent Desires
by Theores
Summary: Never make a person pay for a mistake they didn't make.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi. I make no money off this fandom._

A/N: I ended up rewriting this fanfiction after rereading Love Is Not Blind; my most popular story to date. I figured it would be much easier to understand if I didn't start in the middle of the story. The concept of this fanfiction will still be the same as the original, still me mostly just dealing with personal issues like LINB. In this particular case, I made mixed race again, but she has Middle Eastern blood so her skin is slightly browner than most Japanese (this issue will come up a few times in the story) and she is also a Jackal rather than Inu while Sesshomaru is the same, except his family doesn't rule over modern day Japan. With all that said I hope you enjoy, and I can certainly assure you all that I will indeed be posting at least two chapters a day for awhile. Enjoy.

-Theores

Absent Desires

 _Never make a person pay for a mistake they didn't make._

Chapter 1: First Meeting

The waves of the ocean rolled smoothly towards the shore, the water foaming as it reached the end only to break and pull back into the sea, a scene made all the more beautiful by the full moon that hung overhead in the blue-black sky. Sitting close so that her bare feet could touch the water with each cycle of the tide, a lone woman sat at the shoreline enjoying the rare moment of solitude.

Kamakura wasn't so bad.

The seaside town was rife with history. A natural fortress surrounded by hills and water, all the more made attractive by its biggest landmark; the great buddha for which millions of people came from all over the world to see. The weather was decent, the people were quiet and nightlife was well confined to the Northern part of the city, far away from major homes and apartments.

Taking in another breath of the slightly salty sea air, Kagome allowed a rare smile to cross over her face as her nose took in the scents of the beach. The ocean had played a major role in her final decision of moving here. Continuing to face forward, the jackal's ears beat when she heard a sound behind her, the movements of someone's shoes scraping along the sand making an odd scratching noise.

Bothering to look over her shoulder, Kagome blinked once; surprised to see a man a distance ways on a nearby hill, desperately fumbling with his wrinkled clothes, a cap haphazardly balanced on top of his head. _What is he doing here_ she briefly wondered. She had been here since eight o'clock and a quick glance at her watch showed it to now be well past one. Thinking the worst, she half way opened her mouth to call out to him when another figure walked up behind him, a woman who was busy working on herself; trying to hand comb the sand from her hair.

Watching as the man turned to face the female, a few words were passed between them, but she tuned them out, instead looking a bit disgusted when the woman boldly reached down and began to rub the man's crotch through his pants, smirking.

He looked annoyed at the action, staring up at the sky rather than her but didn't resist, even as her hands snatched off his cap and roughly pushed him against the rock wall that separated the beach from the main road. Stunning white hair flew everywhere, covering the man's face and blocking most of his expression which seemed to be almost, scared.

From their scents, they were obviously Inu youkai, meaning they should have sensed her only a few feet away. Her eyes widened considerably once the beautiful woman began to kiss and lick down his body, her clawed fingers expertly undoing his belt and pants button. _How do they not see me?_ She considered leaving, but the man's head suddenly lifted up and froze when his golden eyes locked onto Kagome rather than the sea. She hoped meeting his eye would give him the sense to stop his companion, but instead he looked at her for a moment before giving the jackal an amused smile and sticking his tongue out at her.

Bristling, Kagome bared her teeth and faced forward once more, silently fuming. _Asshole_. If he wanted to act like an animal and let a woman blow him in front of a stranger on a public beach, fine. It was none of her business anyway. Hearing a grunt from him the demoness shook her head at the many possibilities of what that meant. _For her sake, I hope he's not that fast._

The white haired man gasped. "Wait...you want to do **that** here?"

"Mmhh, just a little bit," A sultry voice responded.

"I don't think I can do that just a little bit…."

Still looking at the waves, Kagome chuckled slightly at her joke.

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"Higurashi your marks of some of the highest I have ever seen," Teruo commented, snapping shut the folder that contained her information. "You could just as easily find employment in a major company with a much better pay rate."

"I already tried that," She responded, squirming slightly in her seat. "But not many people trust an interpreter that doesn't really look like them."

The owl demon had barely glanced at her appearance but giving her another once over frowned when he noticed her slightly browned skin and unruly black hair. People did indeed distrust those that didn't look like them. "That's the unfortunate world we live in." Standing up he grabbed a book off one of his shelves and nodded. "You have the marks to possibly become an innovator of linguistics, have you considered going back to school to earn a master's degree?"

"I can't afford that," Kagome answered immediately leaning back. "I'm still paying off my loans just from my undergraduate."

Teruo stared blank-eyed at Kagome for a few seconds, his mind working to find a place for her. Finally sighing, the owl demon shook his head. "I honestly don't want to give you the job because I believe you can be so much more than an editorial assistant." Reading back over her resume his eyebrow arched. "Did you really rewrite your entire college's voice recognition system?"

"Yea, I was an intern in the linguistics department…."

"Remarkable, and you've had no formal training."

"Yea," She said again, looking down. "But I already decided a long time ago...I don't want to work for a big corporation."

The owl demon regarded her demeanor. "You're sure this is what you want to do?" He sat on the edge of his desk and waited for her to respond, giving her another chance to back out and do something better.

The jackal nodded after a pause. "I just want to be normal."

Clearing his throat, Teruo closed his eyes before giving in, "Fine, I'll hire you."

Kagome immediately perked up at his words. "Really?!"

"Yes, you're just lucky I need someone fast."

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A spring was in her step when she left the small publishing building, she had only been in Kamakura a week and found herself a decent job! Cheering to herself, the jackal used her nose to locate a nearby coffee shop that definitely had her favorite: cinnamon buns. The bell overhead jingled as she entered the establishment, her eyes zooming in on her target the second she was in the door.

Moving away from Tokyo was turning out to be the best decision she ever made. The city had been nothing but hell for her since she was born, only made worse by her social ignorance and a heartbreak which served as the driving factor to move to the area in only three days.

Fleetingly while she waited for her two large cinnamon buns with extra icing to be ready, the aforementioned heartbreak hit her mind but she quickly shook it out once she was handed her order, not wanting anything to ruin her happiness today.

 _'That's not important right now'_ She told herself with a mouth full of sweetened bread, the warm food making her feel like she was in heaven. She was twenty-four with a new apartment in a city by the sea, a new job, new life, new everything. Nothing was going to bring her to the breaking point this time around. Nobody here knew her so she was sure she could make at least a few decent friends. The books on how to meet new people giving her a guide on what she should do.

 _Life is only looking up._ Taking a deep breath to calm down, Kagome threw away her trash and walked to the exit, not bothering to look up in time to see the person who was passing by the closed door. Opening it, she gasped when she heard someone hit the other side and a groan, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground.

Panicking, the demoness quickly shut the door and whined when the man sat up and looked at her, unable to see his eyes because of the think visual glasses on his face. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

He didn't respond to her apology, instead getting to his feet and pushing the black baseball cap on his head further down.

Worried Kagome tried to say more, but he merely held up his hand to silence her and offered a simple, "It's fine."

She hummed at the familiar voice. She had heard it somewhere before. It wasn't until she saw the small piece of white hair that he quickly tucked back under the dark hat he was wearing, that she realized who he was. It can't be.

He must have recognized her too because he paused in his movement once he noticed she was staring, letting out a deep sigh when she continued to gawk at him. "It's rude to stare."

Shaking her head of her thoughts, the jackal suddenly grinned, the surprise having just as quickly worn off. Fangs poking out over her lip, her smile widening when he froze and put his hands in his pockets. Stepping around him she kept looking at his face as she walked by waiting until he couldn't turn his head anymore and stuck her tongue out at him like he had done earlier, waving goodbye once her back was to him. Hearing him growl in displeasure, Kagome chuckled and observed a few birds that flew by as she made her way to her apartment. _Today is such a beautiful day!_

A/N: Please review!

-Theores


	2. Chapter 2

Absent Desires

 _The longer the explanation, the bigger the lie._

Chapter 2: Underneath the Mask

She was barely midway across a pedestrian bridge when she heard someone call out to her. Turning around Kagome frowned as the same guy with the cap and thick glasses quickly strode towards her, his expression unreadable because of his glasses. "What?"

"I have something to say," He said once he was close enough so that his voice could be low. "It's about last night."

"Okay?" She responded, waiting patiently while he withdrew and put his hands in his pockets.

"That woman….She isn't my girlfriend or anything," He began, briefly unpocketing his hand to pull his black baseball cap down further on his head. "We just have an arrangement to meet regularly and…."

"Okay!" Making a disgusted facenKagome stopped him from speaking further. Waving her hands dramatically in front of her face when he looked surprised, she stammered quickly, "That's way too much information!"

Lifting his head, he pushed his glasses back up his nose and bared his teeth, annoyed at her dismissal. "I wasn't attempting to explain my personal life to you, I merely wanted you to understand what was happening!" His hands went back into his pockets and he kicked the ground like a stubborn child, though Kagome was pretty sure he was at least her age.

This guy was weird. Weirder than her even.

Groaning the jackal nodded and turned back around, already somewhat aware of what he was going to say. "I don't care what you were doing in the middle of the night, it was no big deal." Taking a few steps forward, his angered growl made her pause again and shaking her head at his behavior continued walking after another thought came to mind. "You don't want me to say anything to anyone, right? Got it." Waving behind her she tried to be on her way but the man suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her back around to face him. "Hey!"

"You don't understand." He ground out even as she snatched her arm back. "That woman,"

"Is none of my business." She finished for him, holding her wrist to herself. "I didn't see much anyway so your secret is safe." The last part was said sarcastically, but he seemed to take it seriously because he nodded like he was grateful. Unable to see his full face Kagome sighed and eyed him dangerously. "I won't tell anyone." She reassured him before attempting to leave again.

"She has a mate." He blurted out so suddenly, the Jackal had to stop and reassess what he'd just said.

Glancing over her shoulder Kagome's gray eyes flashed in disappointment. "So you're sleeping with a mated woman?"

"I don't have a choice…." He explained appearing almost desperate with the way he continued to watch her. "It started and now I can't get out of it."

Kagome looked amazed. "Why are you even telling me all of this?" She shook her head after she asked, reminding herself that the new her wasn't nosy. "Nevermind, I don't care."

"You have no right to judge me."

She scoffed at the accusation. "You're talking to a random stranger about fucking another man's woman on beaches at night and _don't_ expect me to judge you?" Shaking her head Kagome started walking forward and growled when she heard him try to call her back. "I won't tell anybody!" She yelled, at last, crossing the length of the bridge and heading down the connecting stairs.

Briefly, she glanced over her shoulder on the sidewalk and sighed when she saw that the odd man had collapsed on the pedestrian bridge, his back against the rails and his head lowered to his chest. A moment of guilt crossed her mind but she quickly shook it off, once again reminding herself that the new her wasn't a doormat. He had no business telling her about his personal life like that, and she had nothing to feel guilty for just because she didn't stay to listen to his woes. Marching diligently to her apartment she made a game plan in her mind for getting ready for tomorrow, the stranger's words popping up in her brain a few times causing her to begin chanting a mantra to kill the ruminating. _He bought it_ on _himself anyway._

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Kagome wasn't the only one who was dealing with ruminating thoughts.

His fingers flying over the keyboard Sesshomaru tried to focus on work and not the brown skinned female who had seen him in all his shame. The house phone rang next to him but he ignored it instead concentrating on finishing the 3d rendering of an upcoming four building apartment community that was scheduled to be built next year. Typing in the codes necessary to enable the simulation characters to move around the area, he frowned when he found himself making one of the females a darker than average skin tone.

That woman was still on his mind. Throwing off his glasses Sesshomaru groaned and put his forehead on his desk, the embarrassment he felt overwhelming him. Recalling the things he had forced a whiteness to come to his cheeks. Social awkwardness was a bitch. He knew he wasn't meant to be around people, which was the main reason he worked from home. Keeping his head on his desk he turned it sideways so that his cheek was now touching the wood and cringed when his phone began to ring for the third time that night.

Miyako only ever wanted him specifically when her mate wasn't around, the man most likely doing the same thing on a beach somewhere out of the country. He was a tool, a fuck toy for the woman who was nearly fifteen years his senior. Resisting the urge to bang his head against his desk, Sesshomaru did what he always did and reluctantly answered the phone on the fifth ring. Not bothering to banter he asked the woman on the other end, "Where do you want me to meet you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Absent Desires

 _We don't meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason._

Chapter 3: Awkward Coincidences

Miyako had been satisfied and taking advantage of her being asleep Sesshomaru quickly dressed in the dark and with the skill of a ninja quietly slipped out the back door and started down the stairs leading to the private beach behind her mansion. Glancing at his watch he frowned when he saw that it was nearly three in the morning, over two hours longer than he originally planned on staying. But that woman, she was insatiable, always wanting _'just one more'_ go.

He hadn't wanted to start this affair, but the socialite mate of a prominent businessman had something on him that could ruin his entire life if ever made public. The only thing keeping her mouth shut was their constant meetings that apparently filled a void her always on the move partner never had time to. _At least she never demanded I spend the night._ He hated touching people in general but the level of intimacy sex required left the introverted man completely drained at the end of the night and tonight was no exception. All he wanted to do right now was go home and purge himself in burning hot water before burying under his covers and falling asleep.

His hands dug into his pockets, Sesshomaru walked from one private beach to the next, the seaside houses bearing no discerning lines to where one's land ended and another's began. Soon enough he found himself treading across public land, the moon overhead illuminating his pristine white hair that he had left untucked under his dark hat. It wasn't until he was near the stairway leading up to the street that he noticed a figure in the distance at the shoreline sitting in the sand. The wind's direction took that moment to shift and inhaling the person's scent Sesshomaru's eyes widened behind his glasses. _Impossible._

Meeting twice was coincidental, but three times in two days was bordering on the edge of bizarre. The jackal woman was in a similar position from the night before, hugging her knees but this time, her head was down in the space between her knees, her black hair covering the rest of her face. Surprised and a little creeped out too, he considered ignoring her and continuing on his way but paused when he looked back and saw how stiff her body was. Concerned he approached her and stopping just within arms reach gently asked her, "Are you alright?"

"Huh?" Kagome's head shot up at the voice. Leaning her head back she gasped at seeing the same man from the last two days, albeit upside down and smiling? Or frowning, she wasn't sure which due to the odd angle she was seeing him with.

Sesshomaru who was indeed frowning at her focused on the tear-stained face of the brown skinned woman. She had been crying about something, but what? It wasn't his place to ask but the way he was staring must have questioned for him because she smiled a bit and explained, "I was praying."

"Praying?" He repeated, startled. Not many demons held religious beliefs, the few that did worshipping their founding ancestors rather than a particular god, but even those prayers usually involved ritual sacrifices and an over the top ceremony, not being hunched over at a beach in the middle of the night. "Praying to who?"

"Anubis."

"A...Nubis?" He repeated, unsure of who she was speaking of.

"The jackal god of the dead," She elaborated sniffling slightly. "I was praying because I forgot to do it today."

"He isn't a god native to this country," Sesshomaru concluded on his own. She nodded. It made sense, her brown skin and kinky hair texture standing out in a country filled with pale complexions and straight tresses. "You aren't from here I take it." It was more of a statement than a question but if Kagome noticed it she didn't mention it.

"I was born here," She said unfolding herself into a more comfortable position. "My father is Japanese but was born in Greece and my mother was from Egypt. Both jackals."

He hummed. "Quite an impressive bloodline."

"What about you?" Kagome smirked and glanced at his white hair. "There's only one family in Japan with hair that color and no salon in the country could dye it to look that pristine." Her grin widening she boldly inquired, " Are you a Taisho?"

Sesshomaru froze for a second at hearing his last name but eventually relaxed enough to give a brief nod of his head. "In a matter of speaking, yes I am."

"Which one?" She asked, standing up and turning around to face him. Squinting her gray eyes, she tried to note any features that would point to which member of the Taisho clan he was but his hat and glasses covered his face and no stripes were visible on his cheeks. "You can't be Shiro….he's older, and so is Shin'ichi." Wrinkling her nose as she took in his scent she sighed and shook her head as though telling herself no to an idea. "Inuyasha is only fifteen….and I'm pretty sure you aren't a woman," She giggled at the joke. "So you can't be Izayoi…."

"I'm Sesshomaru," He said at last, tired of hearing her make guess work of his family. "My mother is Kimiko…."

"Kimiko?"

"The former mate of Toshiro…."

Kagome shrugged and plopped back down. "Never heard of her."

"I'm not surprised…." He muttered, his gaze turning towards the ocean. "We aren't really that well known."

"Ah." The jackal said, unsure of what else to say. "Oh yea, I forgot to tell you my name,"

"Kagome right?" He said immediately, digging his hands deeper in his pockets.

"Yea," She said, taken aback. "How…."

"The bakery you exited told me who you were in case I wanted to sue for my pain and suffering."

"Sue?" Kagome squeaked out.

"Yes, sue. You knocked me on my back."

"I didn't mean to!"

"Regardless you should have been paying attention, had I been someone else you could have broken something."

"Sorry…."

"It's fine." He said once again, repeating his earlier words to the incident. "I was joking anyway."

"Wait….you didn't learn my name through the bakery?"

"No, I was joking about suing you," He clarified snorting. "My sense of humor is very dry."

"Sarcastic right?"

He sighed. "Forgive me if it isn't the best."

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said, hugging her knees and rocking a bit on her butt. "I'm the same way too."

"Hn. It's rare you find someone who understands…." Without thinking, he took a seat next to her with his own knees up to his chest, his laced fingers going to rest in between his legs.

Seeing him getting comfortable Kagome arched an eyebrow but remained quiet, deciding it was better than questioning why he was around her at all. She yawned, her fangs gleaming in the moonlight. "Anything else we should talk about?"

Sesshomaru adjusted his cap. "Not if it's something irrelevant."

"Fine."

The two remained silent after that, only the sounds of the ocean's waves being heard as they secretly enjoyed each other's ironic company.

 **A/N: Please review! -Theores**


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